Disappearing target



3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 22, 1936 axm 6 m Q mu \h m m March 28, 1939. BUNNERLIGHT 2,152,026

DI SAPPEARING TARGET Filed June 22, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 D I I I 66x & 0 In I i n I F 7 J2 w 4;

. V 0 I 6/6.g 7 0) I I wrruzss V V ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES- ATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to disappearing targets for rifle and pistol practice and has for an object to provide novel targets operable from a single main shaft and including groups or units, each consisting of preferably four target frames, which may be operated collectively or may be operated independently by simply disconnecting a control cable from the main shaft.

A further object is to provide apparatus of this character in which the target frames are pivotally mounted to present the targets in vertical position and to present the targets edgewise to cause them to disappear from view.

A further object is to provide target apparatus of this type having time controlled mechanism for presenting the targets to view for a predetermined time period and then causing the targets to disappear for a predetermined time period.

A still further object is to provide apparatus of this type which will be formed of a few strong simple and durable parts, which will'be inexpensive to manufacture and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in View the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of disappearing target apparatus, showing the targets presented to view, in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2' isfla perspective view showing groups of targets arranged to operate in multiple and showing the disappearing adjustment of the targets.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the targets in disappearing position and showing the control mechanism constructed for hand operation.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Figure 4 and including a portion of the main pivotal frame which carries the targets and their frames.

Figure 6 is a side elevation showing the electric control mechanism in use and in position to present the targets in upright position.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the gear train and actuating motor and showing the adjustment of the motor for connecting and disconnecting the same from the gear train.

Figure 8 is a detail sectional view showing the a main shaft and one of the journals thereof.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, l0 designates a plurality of posts which, as best shown in Figure 1, are spaced apart so as to provide terminal and intermediate posts for supporting a unit of targets, preferably four targets. The target supporting frame comprises upper and lower longitudinal 15 bars I l and I2 connected at intervals by cross bars I3, as best shown in Figure 5, the terminal cross bars being provided with lag screws M which are screwed into the terminal posts Ill and form. pivotal mountings for the target sup- 20 porting frame, so that the latter may be rocked to a vertical position in the plane of the posts Ill, or may be rocked to a horizontal position in a plane intersecting the plane of the posts at a right angle. 2.)

The cross bars 13 are so spaced apart as to provide spaces of about 28" x 28", the alternate spaces being provided with diagonal braces l5 so that these spaces remain clear with the exception of the central space which, as shown in 30 Figure 1, has two of the cross bars l3 disposed on opposite sides of the center post M. Top and bottom strips l6 and I! are secured to the upper and lower longitudinal bars II and I2, the bottom strip I! performing the function of a 35 stop to engage the front face of the post and limit movement of the targets past the vertical when being swung to exposed position.

Each target comprises a backing [8, of comparatively stiff cardboard or composition to the front face of which may be tacked, pasted, or otherwise secured, a standard target [9. The vertical edges of the backing are slidably received in angular guides 20 which are secured to the cross bars l3 and the lower edge of the backing is received in angular stops 2| which are fixed to the lower longitudinal bar l2, as best shown in Figures 5 and 6, and in Figure 5 it will be noted that the target backing is in the process of being inserted and has not reached the stops 2|. For clearness the target has been removed from the backing in this figure.

As best shown in Figure 3, a plurality of horizontally disposed bars 22 are secured to the posts I and project from the rear side thereof to form stops for limiting movement of the targets past the horizontal, and these bars are braced by diagonal brace bars 23 as illustrated.

As shown in Figure 2, any multiple of units of four targets may be used and in this figure one complete unit and portions of adjacent units are illustrated, the targets being shown in disappearing position and resting against the stops 22, as shown in Figure 3.

For operating the targets a main shaft 24, preferably formed of piping, is journaled in bearings on the posts 10, preferably formed of pipe hangers 25, as shown in Figure 8, which are secured to the posts by lag screws 26.

Near the intermediate post [0 of each. unit of four targets a pulley 21 is fixed to the shaft, as best shown in Figure l, the pulley having a grooved face to guide thereon a cable 28 one end of which is fixed to the pulley and a cable 29, one end of which is fixed to the pulley, these cables being trained over respective sheaves 30 and 3| secured to the overlying brace arm 23 and horizontal arm 22 and being respectively terminally connected to eye bolts 32 and 33 disposed on opposite sides of the pivot l4, as best shown in Figure 3. Both cables are equipped with respective turn buckles 34 and 35, for adjusting the tension of the cables and the cable 29 is equipped with a helical spring 36 which forms a continuation of the cable and yieldably holds the cable taut to hold the target frame in its horizontal position against the stop arm 22.

When the shaft 24 is rotated in one direction the cable 28 will be wound upon the pulley 21 to rock the target frame to the vertical position to expose the targets and simultaneously the cable 29 will be unwound off the pulley to permit this rocking movement of the target frame. Conversely when the shaft 24 is rotated in the opposite direction the cable 29 will be wound upon the pulley 21 and the cable 28 will be unwound from the pulley to rock the target frame to its horizontal position to cause the targets to disappear.

The main shaft 24 may be turned by hand or mechanically from a point remote from the targets. For this purpose a pair of cables 31 and 38, best shown in Figure 3, are trained over guide sheaves 39 and 46 carried by short posts 4| and 42. The front ends of both cables are connected to diametrically opposite points in the grooved surface of a pulley 43 which is clamped to the shaft 24, as shown at 44. The rear ends of the cable are connected to diametrically opposite points of the grooved surface of a wheel 45 which is mounted in bearings 46 on a frame 41 disposed at a remote point from the targets. A handle lever 48 is engaged through the face of the wheel and is bolted to one of the spokes thereof as shown at 49 in Figure 6. The cables 31 and 38 are equipped with respective turn buckles D and 5| by means of which the cables may be maintained taut.

When the handle lever 48 is moved forwardly the cable 31 will be wound on the wheel 45 and unwound off the pulley 43 to wind the cable 28 on its pulley 21 and move the targets 18 to exposed or vertical position. When the handle lever is moved backward to the position shown in Figure 3 the cable 38 will be wound on the wheel 45 and unwound off the pulley 43 to wind the cable 29 on its respective pulley 21 and move the target frame to the horizontal or disappearing position.

The time controlled electric mechanism for turning the main shaft is best shown in Figures 6 and '7. An electric motor 52 is mounted on cross bars 53 which are connected by longitudinal bars 54 which slidably fit longitudinal sills 55 that are supported at the rear ends by posts 56 and at the front ends by the posts 41. Slots 58 are formed in the bars 54 to receive bolts 59 projecting from the sills whereby the motor may be adjusted longitudinally of the sills 55 to mesh its pinion 68 with, or de-mesh the pinion from a step down motion gear train designated in general by the numeral 6|, the final pinion 62 of which meshes with an arcuate gear 63 on the wheel 45, as best shown in Figure 6. When the motor is driven in a forward direction the wheel 45 will be moved in a forward direction and when the motor is reversed the wheel 45 will be moved in a retrograde direction.

The motor is time controlled so that the targets will alternately be exposed through a predetermined time period and then held in disappearing position through a like time period. For this purpose a time clock 64 is provided, having its dial marked to denote preferably 5 second intervals, of one minute only. The second hand of the time clock forms a brush 65 which has wiping engagement with a ring 66 of insulating material having switch contacts 61 and 88 disposed at diametrically opposite points therein. The brush engages these contacts to close the energizing circuit of the motor, as will now be described.

A relay 69 has its coil connected by a wire 16 to the brush, and by a wire 1| to one wire 12 of a 110 volt supply line. The other wire 13 of the supply line is connected to three poles 14, 15 and 16 of a two-blade switch 11, the blades of which are connected by wires 18 and 19 to the field terminals of the motor. The center pole 15 is connected by a wire 80 with the relay switch contact Bl. A solenoid 82 is connected by a wire 83 to the relay contact and is connected by a wire 84 to the wire 12 of the supply line. The solenoid merely operates a brake to stop the motor momentum as will later be described.

When the parts are in the position shown in Figure 6, the lever 48 being forward and the targets being in disappearing position, the manually operable switch 9| may be closed. When the brush 65 is advanced by the clockwork mechanism into engagement with the contact 68 a circuit will be closed which may be traced from the wire 12, where it divides, part going through the solenoid 82 and relay contact 8| to the pole 15, and the other part going through the wire 1|, relay coil 69, brush 65, contact 68, to the wire 13. The part of the circuit which divides and passes through the wire 89 to the pole 15 may also be traced through one blade of the switch 11, wire 18, motor, wire 19, other blade of the switch 11, pole 16, and wire 13 of the supply line. When the motor circuit is closed, as just described, the motor will be driven to actuate the gear train El and drive the wheel 45 to swing the targets to the vertical or exposed position.

As the wheel is nearing its limit of movement to raise the targets, a projection 85 on the wheel 45 will ride into engagement with the downwardly'bent end 86 of a push rod 81 which is connected to the switch 11 and swing the switch to engage with the pole 15 and pole 14. This sets the switch to reverse the directional current flow through the motor when the brush 65 engages the contact 61, after a predetermined time interval, to rotate the wheel 45 through the gear train in a reverse direction to rock the targets to the horizontal disappearing position. A projection 88 on the wheel engages the end 86 of the push rod 81 to return the switch to initial position at the end of travel of the Wheel to be ready to reverse the direction of the motor and again expose the targets when the brush 65 next engages the contact 68 after a half minute interval.

A detent 89 is mounted on a spring arm St to engage a notched stop 9! on the push rod 81 to yieldably hold the switch ll in either of its operative positions.

A brake arm 92 is pivoted at one end as shown at 93 in Figure '7, and is normally held to frictionally engage the shaft of the motor by means of a spring 94 best shown in Figure 6. Thus each time the motor circuit is opened the spring will move the brake arm to halt momentum of the motor and bring the motor to an abrupt stop. The brake arm is equipped with an armature 95 which is attracted by the above mentioned solenoid 82 each time the motor circuit is closed, to

release the brake arm so that the free rotation of the motor is not impeded.

While the operation of all the units of four targets simultaneously has been above described;

it will be evident that by disconnecting the control cables 28 and 29 from any of the pulleys 21 the associated unit will be disconnected. Consequently any number of units from 1 to the full capacity of the target system may be operated selectively to adapt the system to required conditions of service.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

Disappearing target apparatus comprising spaced, upright posts, frames positioned between the posts and pivotally related thereto for pivotal movement about horizontal axes, means interconnecting two frames adjacent one of the upright posts, to engage that post for stopping the frames in vertical positions, targets carried by the frames, said frames being movable to horizontal positions for concealing the targets, means cooperable' on the posts and the frames for stopping the frames in horizontal positions, to conceal the targets, and means operatively connected with one frame for moving all the frames about their horizontal axes FRED BUNNERLIGH'I. 

